Zoids: Chaotic Century Graphic Novel Volume 11
Berserker System The chapter begins with Hanna bossing around her subordinates, the mechanics weren't used to her Death Stinger (as it had been developed by Prozen, it was unlike regualr army Zoids). Even though her damage was minor, she none the less demanded they fix it by tomorrow. As the mechanics and other officers converse, it's revealed that the Death Stinger has a unique system inbuilt. It sends information directly to the pilot's brain - allowing them to react instantaneously as the battle requires. If used on a normal person, the system would overload them with data, causing the pilot great harm. Hana was able to pilot thanks to Z cells being implanted in her brain. Not knowing this, Lt Hartriegel boards the Death Stinger while Hanna was receiving a medical checkup. Hartriegel believed that if she could expose the system as being ilegal, it could get the Prozen Knights expunged from the army. The Death Stinger immediately begins a rampage, the data overload preventing Hartriegel from controlling herself or the Zoid. Schubaltz attempts to fight against the Death Stinger in his Iron Kong, however the power gap is too large, the Death Stinger escapes the base. Back in Mule, it is revealed that Lulu's father died in an accident on Lulu's last birthday. The crash crippled Lulu, preventing her from walking. However, it also left her mentally scarred, she had not smiled nor opened up to anyone since then. Van, still with a broken leg, asks Zeke to heal him. Fiona, however, disagrees. She tells Van that over-using the healing powers of Zeke will just make him careless in the future, healing on his own would be a valuable experience. As Van and Fiona argue, Zeke is quickly overwhelmed by the choice of siding with one over the other - and promptly flees. Zeke winds up near Lulu. Lulu was sitting near a small makeshift grave. As Zeke inspects this, Lulu frets that he might damage the grave, and nearly falls out of her wheelchair in the process. Zeke catches her, and recognising Zeke's kindness, she explains the origin of the grave. It was a pet bird named Lily. Lulu wanted Lily to fly high in the sky, but knew tame birds wouldn't leave their cage. To get around this, Lulu's father made a blimp to help them fly - this crashed causing the fatal accident. Lulu's father's last words were that she was the same as the then-caged Lily. She had interpreted her father's words as meaning that she too was not meant to see the open sky. Van immediately bursts in (as he and Fiona had been listening from the bushes) and tells Lulu that she is mistaken, when she had wanted to fly high with a friend - those feelings are never, ever, wrong. But their encounter is cut short, the Death Stinger had been spotted and Van had to leave once more. The Storm Sworder and Dibison both scramble, but Van decides to help as well. Even after fusing with Zeke, the Blade Liger was still damaged from before, but Van knew had had to do something to stop the Death Stinger. Full Speed Ahead By the time the chapter starts, the battle is already in progress. Despite only being 3 minutes into the conflit, the republican force was nearly annihilated. Only the S4 and Blade Liger were still operable. The Death Stinger had initiated the conflict with a powerful blanket blast from it's particle cannon, an electromagnetic pulse disabled most Zoids, leaving them defenceless. Herman quickly advises that the pulse had overheated the cannon, leaving them only 5 minutes until it could fire again. Van plunges in, immediately noticing it's fighting style had changed since their last encounter. Van closes in on the Death Stinger's tail, but his blade is caught at the base, and snapped off. The Blade Liger rallies for another charge with it's second blade, when the Death Stinger opens fire with it's machine guns. This takes Van by surprise, as he didn't know the Death Stinger had more ranged weapons than the charged particle cannon. Overlooking the fight, Lulu implores Van to run - if he kept fighting he would die. Fiona slaps Lulu, she points out that Van was only fighting for their sake. If he wanted to run, he would never had engaged in the first place. With that, Fiona bridges Lulu and Oluga's hearts. During the fight, things quickly go sour. The Death Stinger had recovered from its overheating and was preparing to fire the charged particle cannon. Caesar's shields were depleted. Herman, seeing no other option, decided to ram the Death Stinger with his S4. Just as he was closing in, an underground Zoid emerged and constricted the Death Stinger's tail - making the cannon miss it's target. Irvine had arrived. From the sky, a Whale King lowered down a Hover Cargo, Melissa Su was also here, and had a plan to power up Caesar. Trivia ISBN: 1-56931-858-1 Category:Print Media